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One Killed and Others Injured in Boating Accident on Center Hill Lake

July 20, 2008

by:

Dwayne Page

A 44 year old Pleasant View woman lost her life and several others were injured in a boating accident on Center Hill Lake Friday night.

Dead is Tamera “Tammy” Coombs

According to the TWRA, Mrs. Coombs, her husband Tommy Coombs, and two of their relatives, a man and woman, were aboard a 19 foot runabout boat drifting on the lake in an area known as Buoy Point, which is the long peninsula of Edgar Evins State Park, when the accident occurred.

At around 9:00 p.m. a 23 foot ski type boat, reportedly operated by Stephen Maggart of Brentwood, apparently struck the rear and then went over the top of the Coombs vessel, killing Mrs. Coombs, and injuring the others on board.

The Maggart boat then apparently left the scene. According to reports, Maggart dropped off the two passengers who were with him, a male and female, so they could get medical treatment. Officers on a pontoon boat, searching the area, eventually made contact with Maggert on the lake. Both Maggert and Mr. Coombs later submitted to a blood alcohol test, as required of all operators in accidents involving serious injury or death.

All surviving passengers of the Coombs boat, along with the body of Mrs. Coombs, were brought from the scene of the accident by boats to ramp 2 at Edgar Evins State Park. One of them was taken by ground ambulance to Cookeville Regional Medical Center and was later airlifted to Vanderbilt Hospital in Nashville. Another victim was airlifted by a helicopter ambulance that landed at the park. A third victim was transported to an area hospital by another ground ambulance.

With the investigation continuing, TWRA Officers have not commented on the cause of the crash.

Among those assisting the TWRA in the aftermath of the accident were members of the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department, DeKalb County Rescue Squad, DeKalb and Putnam County EMS, and Edgar Evins State Park rangers and employees.

Mrs. Coombs was reportedly an administrative assistant at Sycamore Middle School and Mr. Coombs is a former city alderman in Pleasant View.